Typically, missile systems that must operate for extended times in benign environments thermally couple internal electronics to the airframe to keep the electronics below their temperature limits. Conversely, missile systems that must operate in high speed flight in which the airframes reach temperatures well above the electronic limits generally use techniques to insulate the electronics from the airframe. A missile that operates both in a benign environment for extended periods and in high speed flight may have problems with electronics becoming too hot in the benign environment if the electronics are insulated from the airframe or becoming too hot in high speed flight if the electronics are coupled to the airframe.
Changing the thermal coupling at launch from coupled to insulated can alleviate these problems. For example, currently available techniques to accomplish this include fluid loops, phase-change materials, and axial movement of metallic wedges using shape memory metal to modify the coupling. However, these approaches prohibitively increase the mass, volume and/or cost of the missile.